Applied Collegiate Exoskeleton (ACE) Competition 2025

The next ACE Competition will be held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This international event is designed to spur innovation and highlight first responders and similar occupations that can benefit from emerging physical augmentation technology. It has been running since 2018, and this will be the sixth time student teams will compete to impress the judges with their powered exoskeletons.

Teams are challenged to create power suits that can navigate challenges that emulate real-world emergency scenarios. The ultimate goal is to give participants hands-on experience in a collaborative, innovative environment. The first team to sign up is the Michigan STrength Augmenting Robotic eXoskeleton, M-STARX (team profile). The team is driven by the idea of using “exoskeleton technology to turn real-life heroes into larger-than-life superheroes.”

Why is the competition geared toward first responders?

“Aside from its inherent life-threatening nature, the work of a firefighter is grueling. Despite the best of training, in the face of an active shooter, even the most tactical responder can be terrified. When the stakes are life and death, digging through the rubble is exhausting. Now imagine a firefighter who can climb higher and move faster with an exoskeleton propelling them upwards and forwards. Envision a tactical responder who can charge and neutralize an active shooter more safely and just as nimbly with an exoskeleton carrying extra body armor. Picture that responder digging through rubble in the wake of a collapsed building and being able to move stones and beams they otherwise couldn’t with their exoskeleton strengthening them.”

Important links:

• What is ACE – overview and history
• Recap of the 2024 competition
• Sponsor Interest Form M-STARX – the competition can benefit from more judges, funding, and marketing
• 2025 Rulebook and Deadlines

The registration deadline is fast approaching (Feb 28, 2025)!